Laramie-based district working to address the foundational cognitive and language skills necessary to help all students read on or above grade level

Oakland, Calif. — Sept. 19, 2016 — By all standards, Albany County School District #1 (ACSD) is above average in several measures, including academic proficiency. Yet, leaders of the fifth largest district in Wyoming refuse to rest until every student in the district — especially those with learning difficulties — is reading on or above grade level. So beginning this school year, students in nine of the district’s 15 schools will use the Fast ForWord® online reading and language intervention from Scientific Learning Corp. (OTC PINK:SCIL).

According to John Weigel, ACSD’s assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and accountability, most schools will use the Fast ForWord program with students who struggle. At Linford Elementary School, a Title I school serving children in grades K-5, all students will work on the program three to five times a week.

“The reasons students struggle are as varied as the students themselves, but much of it comes down to the core cognitive skills that make learning possible. This is why we selected Fast ForWord,” said Weigel. “In our previous districts, Superintendent Jubal Yennie and I both saw how students’ focus, confidence, and achievement improved after using the program. We are committed to helping every student, no matter what difficulties they have, and we know that Fast ForWord can help remediate the underlying difficulties that keep struggling readers from making progress.”

The Fast ForWord program was developed by neuroscientists to address reading skills while simultaneously developing memory, attention, processing, and sequencing skills. Vetted and validated in more than 250 independent research studies, Fast ForWord is based on the principle of neuroplasticity — the ability of the brain to rewire and improve. Students who use the program make fast and enduring progress, producing significant changes in academic results in as little as six weeks.

“We know that when students overcome obstacles to reading they become more confident, engaged in their learning, and successful. If we have all students reading well, there is no reason why we can’t achieve a 100 percent graduation rate as well,” said Weigel.